Nothing
by evgrrl09
Summary: Morgan and Garcia aren't speaking to one another. Can they be brought back together by love or are they destined to be nothing at all?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Penelope opened the door to her office and felt a flash of jealousy run through her skin. At the door of Derek's office stood Morgan himself and a petite brunette named Zoe, who he had been seeing for several months. Things were beginning to get serious between the two of them. The woman's face was lit up in a sweet smile and she leaned up to kiss his lips quickly before waving and going towards the elevator. Derek disappeared back in his office and Penelope had to resist the urge to go back into hers and not emerge again. It had been an agonizing three weeks since their fight and neither had spoken to the other, except to snap biting comments occasionally. Not that Zoe minded. Penelope had always been a thorn in her side to her relationship with Derek. In her opinion, the fight was the best thing to happen for Derek.

"Hey, Garcia," Emily said, coming up to her as she made her way to Hotch's office. "What's up?"

She forced a smile. "Nothing, Em," she said weakly. "Just feeling a little queasy, is all." It was true. Lately she'd been feeling terrible, nausea costarring with her anger over her fight with Derek as players responsible for her cantankerous mood. She adjusted her square-framed glasses and added, "Hey…you wanna grab a drink tonight? You, me, Jayje, Reid? Maybe Hotch and Rossi?"

Emily looked at Penelope sadly. It was no secret, the fight Morgan and Garcia had several weeks prior. While no one knew exactly what had been said, plenty of people could attest to their cursing and hollering that had taken place in front of the bar. "I'll talk to them," she said, not wanting to push Penelope's buttons and ask if it was okay to invite Morgan along.

Instantly Penelope brightened. "You're the best, Agent Prentiss!" she said, before heading up the ramp to Hotch's office.

Emily watched as her friend knocked and gained access to the Unit Chief's office. As she sat down, Reid, who was poring over a thick book, glanced up and said, "She still refusing to acknowledge Morgan's existence?"

Nodding, Emily replied, "Yep. Just like him. Have you figured out what the hell happened?"

Reid shook his head. "Morgan is refusing to budge on the topic," he conveyed, flipping one of the pages in his book. "He hasn't said anything, just keeps switching the subject to Zoe. I think he's going to ask her to marry him." He added the last sentence like he was commenting on the weather.

"What?" Emily blurted incredulously. "You can't be serious!" Morgan was going to marry Zoe, the woman who – no arguments could be made about this – was beautiful, but probably the most self-absorbed human being most of them had ever encountered and consistently demeaned his best friend? She found that extremely hard to believe.

"Yeah," Reid said simply. "You know, marriage is said to date back almost 4,350 years and –"

"Who's getting married?"

Both Reid and Emily looked up to see Penelope, who had just exited Hotch's office. She seemed generally curious and she looked at them expectantly. Reid, not thinking of the current circumstances regarding Penelope and Derek's relationship, relayed, "Oh, Morgan's giving off signals that he's going to ask Zoe to marry – Ow!" He bent down to nurse the foot that Emily had just stomped on.

Penelope's face fell and paled. For a moment, she looked like she might faint. "Oh," she said mutely. Her voice had shrunk and she hurried away from Reid and Emily to her office.

XXXXX

Once Penelope returned to her office and the door was locked behind her, she threw up into the trash can. Cursing herself, she took a sip of water from her water bottle and took a few deep breaths. If she'd been unsure before, she was confident now that she had a stomach bug coming. The news Reid had just graced her ears with had _nothing_ to do with why she threw up her breakfast. So what if Derek was marrying the skinny twig of a woman who made Penelope miserable just by stepping in the room? It wasn't her problem anymore.

_He_ wasn't her problem anymore.

XXXXX

"Come in," Derek called, not looking up from the report he was finishing up.

"Morgan?" Emily said hesitantly. "Can we talk for a minute?"

Derek looked up at the serious tone Emily's voice had taken. "Sure thing, Prentiss," he said. "What's going on?" He leaned back in his chair and looked at her expectantly.

The normally reserved looking Emily Prentiss was now looking very nervous as she opened her mouth to speak. "Listen, I know it's not any of my business…"

Derek's heart about stopped. He knew at some point someone was going to forcefully confront him regarding his fight with Penelope. Prentiss was just the person who would do the job. Reid usually pussy-footed around asking any serious questions so he was nothing to worry about. The truth was that Derek was still hurting from his fight with Penelope. He missed her every single day. There were times when he would find himself halfway to her office, ready to make things right with her, but then he turned on his heel and returned to work. He didn't understand why, but between the burning anger, the fear, and the desire Derek felt like a mess.

"Are you thinking about asking Zoe to marry you?"

The question took Derek off guard. He'd honestly expected Emily to grill him about Penelope. But her question was about the person exactly opposite who he'd had his mind on. "And what if I am?" he replied shakily. He knew his voice wasn't as strong as it should've been for answering a question like that, but he couldn't control it. His mind was barely on Zoe; it was on Penelope.

Zoe wasn't a keeper. She was merely someone who he'd gone on a few dates with and the few dates just so happened to turn into a few months. Penelope had never seen eye to eye with her, but she put up with her because he asked her to. After their fight, though, he'd just held onto Zoe, not really knowing where she stood in the sea of gray he felt like his life had sailed into.

"I think it would be a mistake," Emily said quietly.

Derek barked a laugh. "Oh, yeah?" he huffed. "And why is that?"

"Because I think there's someone else who you might love more and who loves you more than anyone else." Emily stared at him with her watchful brown eyes, signaling to him that she knew about the inner workings of Penelope's heart.

He swallowed hard, his face growing harder by the second. Every fiber of his soul told him to truly have this conversation with Prentiss, to try and work through the feelings and emotions that he'd been unable to process on his own. Maybe talking to someone would help. As he opened his mouth to ask a question, his mind shot backwards and he heard Penelope's words in his head.

_We're not meant to be anything, Derek. I should've realized that a long time ago. Not friends, not lovers, nothing._

"No," he said, his voice finally finding its footing. "There isn't." His eyes drifted towards the picture on his desk of him and Penelope and he shook his head again. "There never was."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** **I own not a thing.**

**Just a quick FYI: the italics are flashback scenes.**

"Urgh!" Penelope growled, frustration oozing from every pore in her body. She had just dropped the pile of the files she was carrying back to her office and groaned. The day was just getting worse and worse. Not only was she feeling terrible, but she was dropping things now.

"Oh, Penelope!" Zoe's voice rang through the corridor and Penelope had to resist the urge to slap the bitch. "Watch what you're doing, you're making a mess." She smirked as Penelope bent over to pick up the files that had spilled. Instead of responding, Penelope chose to ignore her. "Have you seen Derek?"

Forcing a strained smile, Penelope shook her head. "No," she said. "Not at all."

"Looking for me?" Derek's figure appeared behind Penelope and he smiled with ease at Zoe. "Hey Baby." He walked around the papers on the floor and looked at them distastefully. "Garcia, what is all this?"

Penelope frowned. "They're just some papers I dropped," she mumbled, straightening herself out. Once she had all of them in her hands again, she walked as quickly as she could away from Derek. She couldn't handle being around him right then. Not when his future fiancée was with him. Her office had never felt more comforting. When she sat down at her desk finally, she took a deep breath and finally let some of her tears fall. Hurriedly, she tried to wipe them away, but they kept coming and soon she was so overcome with them that she had to take her glasses off.

Really she shouldn't have been crying. She'd chosen this. She'd chosen being viciously unhappy because she hadn't wanted to have a relationship built on a lie.

"_Baby Girl," Derek murmured as they lay together in the dark. His arms were wrapped around her protectively, their bare skin still warm from making love. He dropped a kiss on her head._

"_Yeah?" she asked, her voice soft against the sheets._

"_I love you," he said with sincerity and passion. "I love you so much."_

_Penelope took a deep breath. Here was the love of her life and the two of them were together in the most intimate way possible at the moment. She had never been happier, but then she remembered Zoe. Derek had just cheated on his girlfriend. Penelope and Zoe had never gotten along, but she couldn't believe she'd just helped someone cheat on their girlfriend. She couldn't believe that she'd just done something she vowed she would never do. She was "the other woman." But despite her new title, she couldn't help but feel calm. Derek was the love of her life and she'd just made love with him._

_There was no way she could ever forget the passion that was coursing through her body. His hands had explored every crevice of her body, exposing her to sensations none of her previous partners had ever awakened in her. Every surface of her body had been touched, kissed, loved and she'd given him the same in return. There was no denying the chemistry between them had ignited and created something beautiful, even in the midst of the grim position she now found herself in._

_So instead of talking or worrying about what they'd done, Penelope turned to kiss Derek passionately and responded, "I love you, too." Both of them then laid still, falling asleep to the sound of the other's beating heart._

Blinking away more tears, Penelope tried to banish the night from her memory. Unfortunately, the touch of Derek Morgan was something she could never get rid of. The pressure of his fingertips was under her skin now, the feeling forever burned in as a reminder of what she would never have as hers.

XXXXX

"Baby, you want to grab a drink with the rest of the team?" Derek asked Zoe before he stepped off the elevator. They were returning from lunch and Emily had mentioned drinks later with the rest of them after the day was done. He knew she was trying to get him and Penelope in the same room for longer than two minutes and in all honesty he wanted to do it. He _wanted_ Penelope to be jealous and he wanted to see it on her face. Everything about the three weeks since they'd slept together was burning in his brain: the little jabs they made at one another, the scathing looks shot across the bull pen towards the opposite's office. Frankly he was tired of it. He wanted his best friend back.

"Sure!" Zoe said excitedly. Her face darkened for a moment and she asked softly, "Is Penelope going to be there?" Her eyes began to swim with tears.

Furrowing his brow in confusion, Derek said, "I don't know, probably. Why do you ask?" Zoe didn't respond immediately at first and he took a step closer to her, putting his arms around her in the process. "Zo? What's wrong?"

"She hates me," Zoe said with a pout.

Derek rolled his eyes. "Garcia's been having trouble with everyone lately," he told her. "It's not you, it's her."

"I don't like the way she treats you, Der," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I hate the way she looks at you. I thought you two were best friends, but she's been _heartless_ the last few weeks."

All he could do was nod. He wanted to respond in the positive and agree with his girlfriend about Penelope's behavior, but he couldn't bring the words to his mouth. The truth was he'd been just as heartless as Penelope had been towards him. He wasn't innocent in the mixture. In fact, their whole fight had been one bomb going off of the two of them snarling hateful words at each other. He remembered every word, like the lines to a song that was stuck in his head.

_Derek was itching to talk to Penelope again. After last night, he couldn't stop thinking about her. The strawberry smell of her skin and hair filled his nose and he could still feel her bare skin against his. They'd not had an opportunity to talk to each other all day at work, and if he even tried to get her alone, she avoided his attempts. He didn't understand why she was refusing to talk to him. During the night, he remembered holding her in his arms and telling her he loved her. She'd responded. He could never forget the way her lips formed the words "I love you too." It was perfect._

_He arrived at the bar later than everyone else had. The rest of his team were spread out: JJ and Prentiss were getting drinks, Hotch was throwing darts, Rossi was chatting up a group of women, and Reid was sitting with Penelope and Zoe, shaking hands with someone who Zoe was introducing them to._

_Immediately his eyes fell on Penelope. She was perched on the end of her seat, sipping a fruity red drink and smiling flirtatiously at the stranger Zoe had brought with her. Derek felt his chest constrict with jealousy and he reached the table as his girlfriend looked up at him. "Baby!" she said, coming over to him and wrapping her arm around his waist. She pulled him over to the table and gestured to the stranger who was still staring at Penelope like she was a honey covered snack. "This is Brad," she said happily. "I just met him when we came in."_

_Derek raised his hand, trying to keep the glare out of his face as Brad continued to look at Penelope. "Hey man," he said, trying to keep his voice friendly. Leaning out of Zoe's grasp, he kissed Penelope on the cheek and murmured, "Hey Baby Girl."_

_Barely glancing at him, Penelope said, "Hey Morgan." It stung. Why was she treating him like they were just coworkers? She was even leaving out the pet names. He had to talk to her alone, find out what was wrong with her, if he had done something wrong._

_Putting his hand on her shoulder, he started to ask, "Penelope, can I –"_

_But he was interrupted by Brad. He held his hand out and winked at Penelope. "Penelope, wanna dance?" The predatory gleam in his eye was still there and Derek felt like punching him. He was extremely jealous, but he knew he could relax, at least for the time being. His Baby Girl didn't dance with anyone, not even him._

"_Sure thing, Brad," Penelope said, batting her eyelashes seductively and accepting the brute's hand._

_Derek's eyes almost exploded in their sockets. Penelope _never_ danced at bars, not even with people she knew. Zoe smirked as the pair headed off onto the dance floor. She shot her face to look at an uncomfortable Reid and said, "Spencer, you need to be somewhere, don't you?"_

_Reid shook his head and said, "No, I'm—"_

"_Good, get us a drink while you're up," Zoe said flippantly, waving her hand as if to dismiss him. Reid got up looking very confused, but made his way to find someone else to spend time with. When he was gone, Zoe wrapped her arms around Derek's waist and purred, "Good. They're all gone. Now I can spend some quality time with my man."_

_But Derek wasn't listening. His eyes were on Penelope as she danced with Brad. Their bodies moved to the music and rage burned in his veins as Brad's hands slunk down to Penelope's ass. Not bothering to hear Zoe's protests, he stalked onto the dance floor and grabbed Brad's arm. "Take your hands off of her," he growled venomously._

_Brad saw the look in Derek's eyes and dropped his hands from Penelope. "Listen man, I'm sorry," he stammered. He backed away from Penelope, his hands raised in surrender._

_When he was gone, Penelope slapped Derek and said, "What the hell Derek?"_

"_What the hell, what?" he roared. He followed Penelope outside, ignoring the looks on the faces of the people in the bar. When they were standing outside in the dark under the light of the bar sign, he continued. "His hands were all over your ass!"_

_Penelope threw her hands up in the air. "It's not any of your business whose hands are all over my ass!" she cried. "I don't belong to you!"_

_Derek's mouth fell open and he said, "Penelope, did you forget all about last night?"_

_Tears filled her eyes and she whispered, "Last night never should have happened. Derek, you have a girlfriend and you cheated on her. I helped you cheat on her!"_

"_Penelope, I have every intention of breaking up with her," he told her honestly._

_Her eyes grew wide and she whispered, "Why would you do that?"_

"_Why would you have to ask something like that? I love _you_, Penelope. You. Not Zoe, not any other woman. You. And you told me you loved me too. Did something change?"_

_Penelope's eyes watered. "No," she whispered. "But we can't do this. Our entire relationship would be built on a lie."_

"_Baby Girl, what we have is something ten times better than anything Zoe and I have," he told her, cupping her face in his hands. "I'm yours and you're mine. It's as simple as that."_

_Swatting his hands away, she spat, "No, it's not simple! How can you say that? Derek, you didn't have the courage to tell me how you felt about me until you were with someone else. And who's to say you wouldn't get bored with me the way you appear to have gotten bored with Zoe?"_

_Derek felt like she'd slapped him across the face. "You really think that about me? You really doubt how I feel about you that much?" he asked dangerously._

"_Of course I do, Derek!" she yelled. "I've watched you walk in and out of so many women's beds, who can say whether or not mine will be the next one you burn down? I won't do that to myself."_

"_So you're saying we're never going to get more than one night from each other?" he ground out. "That we're just going to be a one night stand to each other?"_

"_After this, we can't even be friends!" she cried._

_Derek felt his heart break and he stared at her with fuming eyes. "So that's it, is it? We're nothing to one another? I'm just Agent Morgan and you're just Penelope Garcia?"_

_She nodded her head and wiped the tears that were falling from her eyes. "__We're not meant to be anything, Derek. I should've realized that a long time ago. Not friends, not lovers, nothing." She turned away from him and fled down the side walk, disappearing from Derek's view and life all at once._

Derek looked up from Prentiss' desk to see Penelope walking back into her office, her blonde curls bouncing as she shut the door. An ache filled his chest cavity at that moment and he knew that Penelope Garcia would forever be responsible for the pain he was feeling at that moment.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own not a thing.**

**Three cheers for Chapter 3! Thank you so much for the reviews I've gotten on this story. I haven't quite decided how long it will be, but the plan is to make it more angsty. The angst bug has bitten me :) Enjoy!**

Penelope had been feeling rotten all morning. Her stomach was cramping, her head was pounding, and her mouth felt unbearably dry. She'd thrown up several times, too. She was sitting at her desk, typing furiously in an attempt to distract herself from the pain she was in. Another cramp overtook her and she groaned in pain, stopping her typing. Rising from her seat in exasperation, she left her office and headed to the bathroom, hoping to splash some water over her face. On the way there, she spotted Derek and Zoe standing outside his office, Zoe's hand on his cheek.

Jesus, did the woman ever do anything but hang around the BAU?

Suddenly, another cramp came over her and she fell against the wall, trying to support herself. Emily stood up from her desk and was by her side immediately. "Penelope? What's wrong?" she asked with worry in her voice.

"Stomach pain," she wheezed out.

"How long?" Rossi asked, joining the women.

"Er, all morning," she said, gritting her teeth. Grasping her abdomen, she added, "On a scale of one to ten, I'd say this is an eight." Rossi and Emily exchanged glances and both of them took one of Penelope's arms, guiding her towards the elevator. "Where are you taking me? I have work to do."

"Oh no, Kitten," Rossi said, pushing the button to the elevator. "We're getting you to the hospital. No arguments."

And she didn't. Penelope was in too much pain for arguing.

XXXXX

"Alright, Ms. Garcia," the doctor said as he came into the room to examine Penelope. "What seems to be the trouble?"

Crying as another cramp over took her, she said, "No idea. Cramping in my stomach and a fucking awful headache."

Emily stood at the side of the room. Her eyes caught sight of Penelope and she let out a gasp. "Doctor, she's bleeding!" she said, pointing at her friend. Immediately she rushed to her side and took Penelope's hand. "What does that mean?"

The doctor looked down and saw that a quick gush of blood had stained Penelope's skirt. Eyes going wide and shaking his head, he asked, "Ms. Garcia, were you aware you might be pregnant?"

Penelope sat up, her eyes growing huge and she choked out, "What?" Her voice was hoarse and she cried out as there was another cramp. "_Pregnant_?" She now squeezed Emily's hand tightly, practically cutting off her circulation. "Wait…? So – so does this mean I'm losing the baby?" More tears filled her eyes and she looked at the doctor with trembling lips.

Snapping rubber gloves on, he said, "We're going to get you cleaned up and we're going to do an ultrasound. There's a chance you may not be losing the baby. There's not a whole lot of blood, so we'll see. I'll go get an ultrasound technician and she'll take a look at you." He exited the room and left Emily and Penelope alone.

Emily looked at her friend and whispered, "Penelope, do you know who the father is?"

Full on sobbing now, Penelope nodded and choked out, "It's Derek. The father of this baby is Derek."

Now Emily was well and truly shocked. Derek had been with Zoe for months now, so this meant they'd slept together recently. _Was that what caused the split between them?_ she wondered to herself. "Derek?" Penelope bit her lip and nodded, more tears spilling from her closed eyes. She was about to ask another question, but the ultrasound tech had arrived with her machine and they had to take a look. The doctor came in moments later.

"Ms. Garcia, I'm going to need you to lift your shirt up so that we can take a look at you," the ultrasound tech said gently. She produced the tube of gel that would need to go on Penelope's stomach and she added, "This is going to feel a little cold." She used the instrument and began to look for a fetus.

Throughout the entire process, Emily held Penelope's hand tightly, giving her as much support as she could. The pain medicine the doctors had given her when she'd come in were beginning to take effect and Penelope sat, silently crying. "Well, it looks like your baby is still fine," the doctor said, patting her on the shoulder. "You simply have a small tear in your placenta. We can absolutely fix it and we can set you up with an OBGYN to get you on track for your pregnancy." He smiled kindly and motioned for the ultrasound tech to follow him. "We'll let you have the room."

When they were alone, Penelope began to sob again. Emily put her arms around her friend and held her close, rubbing her back in the process. She waited until Penelope was ready to talk and she listened to every word she said.

"We were just having dinner one night when he kissed me," Penelope sniffled. "We…we slept together and afterwards he told me he loved me. I told him I loved him back, but when I left, I couldn't get it out of my head that I was the other woman. I helped someone cheat on their girlfriend. The next night he tried to tell me that he was going to break up with Zoe, but I – I pushed him away. We said such horrible things to each other, Em! He'll never forgive me and he certainly won't want anything to do with this baby." She let out a sob and said, "Why did I push him away? He told me he loved me and I…"

"PG, when are you going to tell him?" Emily asked quietly.

She shook her and whimpered, "I don't think I can. He'll ha-hate me!"

"Pen, he has a right to know," Emily said gently. "I'll help you every step of the way. JJ will help you every step of the way. And Derek…he loves you. He'll do the right thing by you. I _know _he will."

Penelope looked at Emily with red eyes and tear-stained cheeks. "I need time to think."

Emily sighed and said, "Okay. But please don't do anything you'll regret. I don't want to see you lose the person who means the most to you."

XXXXX

Derek looked around the bullpen and noticed Rossi and Emily were nowhere to be found. Going up to Hotch's office, he knocked and asked the unit chief, "Hotch, man. Any sign of Rossi or Prentiss? I can't find them anywhere."

Hotch looked up from his paperwork and met Derek's eyes steadily. "Didn't you hear?" he asked. "They took Garcia to the hospital."

"They WHAT?" he asked, almost yelling the process.

Hotch was barely phased. "You heard me."

Stammering, he asked, "Well…what's wrong with her?"

Staring at him blankly, his boss replied, "Why don't you go and ask her?" Noticing how Derek backed off when he mentioned it, he added, "You know Morgan, I don't know what happened between you two, but you need to get your shit together before someone gets seriously hurt. I've seen the way you two avoiding each other like the plague, and I've been tempted to lock you two in a room until you figure out what the hell you both want from each other."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Derek asked, his voice on guard.

Rising from his seat, Hotch stared at him hardly. "Morgan, if you think no one can see you two are in love with each other then you're stupid. I don't care if you're with that floozy or not. You and Garcia are like a couple out of a fucking Russian romance novel. The fact that Zoe doesn't realize that just makes it more obvious that she's an idiot."

Derek threw his hands up in the air and hollered, "Dammit Hotch, I told her I love her and she ran away from me! I poured my whole fucking heart out and she just took off and told me we weren't meant to be friends, lovers, or anything of the sort."

Sighing, Hotch said, "Derek, there's more for you and Penelope in the future. I'm positive. You just need to buckle up and get ready for wherever you guys are meant to be."

**Okay, so how does everyone like Prophet Hotch? Let me know what you think! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds. I just play with it.**

**Wow! The response on this story has been great! I'm glad you're all enjoying it as much as I'm enjoying writing it. I do apologize for the delay on getting these chapters out so fast. I've been working on my Criminal Minds/Grey's Anatomy crossover along with it. I promise I'm working as fast as I can. Thank you again for the reviews and here's the next chapter!**

Penelope settled down on her couch after getting home from the hospital. She was going to get into the shower in a moment, but right then she just needed to close her eyes for a few minutes. Emily had wanted to come up with her, but she refused to let her because she wanted a few hours of silence before people started asking her questions. Rossi found out what was wrong with her as soon as they stepped out of the examination room and she was cleaned up, but she'd sworn both him and Emily to secrecy.

"_I need you both to keep this between the three of us," she whispered as they were riding in the SUV to her apartment. "Please."_

_Rossi sighed and said, "Bella, we'll do it for you. But if you keep quiet about this for too long, it's going to come back to get you in ways you don't want it to."_

She knew she only had a limited amount of months before she would start showing, but she would wait for the rest of eternity to tell Derek she was pregnant with his baby if she could. At the moment she would love for nothing more than her best friend to sit with her and hold her as she cried, but it wouldn't happen. He had Zoe. She had no one.

After her shower, she sat back on the couch in her pajamas and looked down at her abdomen. She would be growing within the coming months and it would be Derek's child in her. Tears filled her eyes as she found herself wondering if it would be a boy or a girl. Nothing in the world could make her give up her baby, even if Derek didn't want anything to do with him or her. Part of her thought it was irrational to think that Derek would abandon his child, but then she remembered what she'd told him the night of their fight.

_We're not meant to be anything, Derek. I should've realized that a long time ago. Not friends, not lovers, nothing._

Pulling her knees to her chest, she put her face against them and cried. How could she have told him that? Of course they were meant to be something. They were meant to be everything, the whole nine yards. She was his Baby Girl, he was her Hot Stuff. But she'd gone and ruined it. Derek would never call her Baby Girl again, that she was almost positive of.

XXXXX

At work the next day the team was all gathered in the round table room being briefed on a new case. The entire time Penelope acted like a shell of herself. She felt sick to her stomach again, this time knowing that the cause of it was pregnancy. Every time she took one look at the gruesome crime scene photos she had to force the bile in her throat to go back down. It was becoming too much. When the final one graced the screen above, she knew it was going to be a losing battle and she raced from the round table room to vomit into a trash can. As she was heaving the entirety of her breakfast into the basket, she felt someone come and hold her hair out of her face.

Looking up, she saw Rossi looking at her with concern and she croaked hoarsely, "Thanks."

Patting her back and giving her a hand, Rossi smiled and said, "Any time, Kitten. Do you need to go back to your office or can you finish up this briefing?"

Shaking her head forcefully, she said, "No. I can finish. It's just with –" She paused to motion to her abdomen before continuing. "I'm going to be fine."

Giving her a skeptical look, Rossi said, "Okay then." The two of them reentered the round table room and he explained to the team, "Garcia's meds that the doctors gave her yesterday have been causing her some stomach problems, that's all. We can get on with this."

The team didn't seem to expect anything was wrong at all. Emily, who knew what was wrong, just met Rossi's eyes and nodded; JJ looked at Penelope with concern because she thought she simply wasn't feeling well; Reid was already focused on the case again; Hotch looked at her slightly worried, but didn't say anything. But Derek's face worried her. He looked at her for the longest amount of time since their fight and his face was curious, one of his eyebrows raised and his head tilted to the side slightly.

A shot of fear raced down Penelope's spine as his gaze bored into her. _Did he suspect something_? she thought frantically. But the fear passed when he returned to looking over the case file as if nothing had happened.

Gulping, Penelope tried to remain as focused on the case as she could. When Hotch deemed the meeting over, he said, "Wheels up in thirty. Garcia, I need to see you in my office for a moment."

Shit. Maybe someone else did suspect something.

XXXXX

"How far along are you?" Hotch asked gently as she closed the door to his office behind her. He leaned against his desk and observed her look of fake confusion. "Don't try and hide it, Garcia," he added. "I do know the signs of pregnancy."

Sighing and pouting unintentionally, Penelope sighed and whispered, "Only about a month. The reason I was in the hospital yesterday was because I have a small tear in placenta, but it's okay."

Hotch studied her hesitant face and said, "I think you should tell him."

"Excuse me?" she yelped. Jesus, did he know who the father was too?

Grabbing his go bag from behind his desk, he patted her shoulder as he headed towards the door to his office. "You heard me," he said sympathetically. "Call us when you have something on the victims I gave you to look up, please." With that, Hotch left her standing in his office, tears filling her eyes.

XXXXX

Derek boarded the jet and plopped down in the seat next to Emily. Penelope throwing up was still on his mind. She'd never gotten sick before from looking at crime scene photos or videos before. Maybe the bug she'd gotten was affecting her more than she knew. What he couldn't get out of his mind was how frightened she looked.

He had no idea what that was about.

On the table in front of him his phone buzzed and Zoe's number popped up on the caller id. Picking it up, he said, "Hey, Baby."

"Are we still on for lunch today, Handsome?" Zoe said happily into the phone.

Derek had to resist the urge to wince. Only Penelope ever called him that. It sounded wrong on any other woman's lips. He also had to force himself not to snap at Zoe. She'd shown up every day the team wasn't away, expecting him to go to lunch with her and he was having trouble standing it. He hardly ever saw his team members outside of cases and there were also times he just wanted to sit and think by himself. With Zoe clinging to him like a life raft, though, it was difficult to have anything on his mind other than the newest superficial topic she was talking about.

"Oh, no," he said shortly. "The team got called away. We're not gonna be able to do lunch. Sorry Baby."

"Seriously Derek!" she screeched. He frowned as she continued. "Derek, it's our six month today! How can you go away when I planned a special night for us?"

"Zoe, I can't _not_ go!" he said angrily. "It's a case. You know I can't ditch out on cases unless it's an emergency." He didn't mention that he didn't even know they'd been together for six months in case she blew a gasket and killed his eardrum.

"How is this not an emergency?" she demanded. "It's our six month, Derek!"

Rubbing his brow in exasperation, he ground out, "You know what, Zoe? I'm going to hang up on you and we can talk again when you can stop acting like a petulant child." Without bothering to listen to his idiot girlfriend's screaming, he hung up and slammed his phone down. Emily stared at him from his left and he glared at her. "What?"

"Trouble?" she asked shortly.

"You know, Prentiss," he spat. "I don't know what crawled up your ass and died, but you've been nothing but unpleasant with me all day! What gives?"

Turning up her nose, Emily sniffed, "Nothing. Just wondering when you're gonna dump that moron you call a girlfriend."

Clamping his mouth shut, Derek thought to himself, _Yeah, I suppose I am, too._

XXXXX

The case was extremely short. The unsub had slipped up and left a witness, who was able to identify him hook, line, and sinker. Around nine in the evening the night following their arrival, the team was back on the jet heading back to DC. Derek knew he would have hell to pay when he saw Zoe again for missing her super special surprise. As the plane landed on the runway, all he could think about was seeing Penelope for a short while, even if it was just from a distance. He missed his best friend and would much rather be spending time with her than with harpy-witch Zoe.

His entire drive back to the BAU was on autopilot, his brain consumed with thoughts of Penelope. Her smile was in his head; her scent was clinging to his clothing and skin. He couldn't escape her. Even thinking about being with Zoe made him sick at this point.

All he wanted was Penelope.

When he did arrive back at the BAU and was in his office, his hands were wringing together and he was sweating. He _needed_ to see Penelope. He didn't care if she ran out of the room or glared at him or yelled at him. She was his God-give solace. Just hearing her voice would get him through the night. Rushing out of his office, he sped down the corridor to Penelope's office. Before he got there, though, he heard voices coming from the door. One of them was particularly angry.

"Derek belongs to me! You need to get rid of it!" Zoe hissed. Her voice was fuming.

Penelope spoke next. "It's not any of your business," she seethed. "Besides, I haven't even said a word to him and I don't plan to."

_What the hell is she talking about?_

Zoe's voice raised several decibels and at least one octave. "You're nothing but a slut! Did you really think I wouldn't find out that you slept with _my_ boyfriend? Please, you're nothing like me. If you even think he'll leave me –"

"I don't expect him to!" Penelope's voice, while still angry, was now desperate. "Zoe, please, just leave me alone! I've not spoken to Derek in weeks."

"But when you begin to show, you're going to have to, so you're going to do the right thing and get rid of it! You don't want to break up a happy couple do you?" Her voice was laced with sickly sweet poison and Derek felt the truth settle in his gut about what they were talking about. Swaying on his feet, he grasped the wall for support. His vision was going gray for a moment. "Did you hear me, Penelope?"

"Yeah, I heard you," Penelope spat. "And I'm not doing it."

"Get. Rid. Of. It!"

"Fuck you," Penelope said, before she pushed her office door open and emerged from it. Her face was red with tears and anger and she let out a small gasp when she saw Derek standing in front of her. Her eyes very clearly told him she knew he'd heard her and Zoe's scuffle. Zoe had come out behind her and her face paled when she saw him, too.

"Baby?" she said, trying to keep her voice light. "What are you doing down here? Did Hotch maybe send you to –" She went forward to put her arms around him, but he just pushed her away from him. His eyes were still on Penelope's and they stared at each other for a moment.

"Don't touch me!" he growled, moving away from Zoe and hurrying back down the hallway to the elevators. He had to get some air. The building was too stuffy, the lights were too bright, and the woman he loved was carrying his child.

Everything was too much for him at the moment


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds…I just play with it.**

**Thank you again for all the reviews! I know a lot of you were wondering how Zoe found out about the baby, so here's the flashback. I hope you all enjoy this next chapter!**

"_Em, please don't ask me about this right now," Penelope begged as Emily and she talked on the phone. The team was going to be back to the BAU in a matter of moments and Emily was trying to convince her to tell Derek about her pregnancy. "I can't tell him I'm pregnant. Not yet. He'll hate me more than he does already."_

_Emily snorted on the other end of line. "Pen, tell him," she said. "He'll be thrilled that it's you and not Zoe who's telling him this. He loves you, Pen. Please tell him."_

"_It was a single night together," she snapped to Emily. "I can't just expect him to drop his entire life altogether because we weren't smart enough to use a condom!"_

"_He's not going to see it that way," Emily returned, her tone just as snippy._

_Penelope huffed. "I'll see you when you get back," she said, turning off her headset and throwing it onto her desk. Groaning, she put her elbows on her desk and pushed some hair out of her face. The team would be back soon and she needed to talk to Hotch momentarily. Rising, she jumped when she saw a very angry looking Zoe. "What do you want Zoe?" she asked, praying she hadn't heard her conversation with Emily and was just made for some petty reason._

_Luck was not on her side._

"_You really thought you could steal him from me?" she hissed angrily._

The moment Penelope realized Derek heard the gist of the conversation she'd had with his girlfriend. Everything about his body language and facial expression proved it. Tears filled her eyes as he ran off towards the elevator and she faced Zoe, hoping her face would burn into her memory for a long time.

"I hope you're happy!" Zoe screeched at her. "Look at what you've done. You've ruined everything!"

Penelope stared at her like she was crazy. "What in the hell are you talking about? _I _ruined everything? You're the one who couldn't leave me the hell alone. If you had, he wouldn't have heard and you two would still be nauseatingly happy," she hissed.

"Well if you hadn't thrown yourself at him then this conversation wouldn't have needed to happen," Zoe cried, throwing her hands in the air. By now several different people, including Penelope's team were in the hallway, listening to the hellish conversation unfolding. "What did you do, get him drunk and throw yourself on top of him in nothing but your underwear?"

"He kissed me!" she responded, tears coursing down her cheeks. "I never wanted this to happen!"

Fury on her face, Zoe charged forward and pushed Penelope backwards so that she fell to the floor. Immediately, Hotch was on the ground helping her up while JJ grabbed Zoe by the arm. "Get out," she growled dangerously. "Before we call someone to remove you." As Zoe's eyes widened in fury and she opened her mouth to say something, JJ shook her head and pointed to the elevators. "You go, and you don't come back." Her voice was low and she continued to glare at Zoe, her eyes very clearly telling her she was unwanted. It took another few minutes of staring at her with animosity for JJ to effectively get her to turn on her heel and leave.

When she was gone, Hotch and Rossi were looking at Penelope's teary face with concern. "Are you alright?" Rossi asked her gently.

Penelope nodded and said quietly, "I need to go find Derek. He – he heard her and I arguing."

And she had an idea of where he might be.

XXXXX

"I had a feeling you might be up here," Penelope said softly when she opened the door to the roof and found Derek staring out over the edge. His back was stiff and erect, his eyes trained on the stars. She walked carefully over to where he stood, making sure to keep a good amount of distance between them. Putting her hands on the roof's edge, she added, "You always did come up here to think or cool off."

"What do you want, Garcia?" he asked harshly, not removing his eyes from where they were staring. "I can't imagine _you_ wanting to say much to me. It's usually me having to say something. I tell you I love you, I tell you I plan on breaking up with my girlfriend to be with you, but even so you just walk away." He laughed bitterly. "You probably wouldn't have told me about this baby, would you?"

Penelope cursed herself for being weak as more tears filled her eyes. "Derek, I was going to tell you," she murmured. "When I was brave enough. I promise you that."

"Your promises can't really mean that much, though, can they?" he spat, finally turning to look at her. His eyes were blazing with a month's worth of anger and he added, "You told me you loved me, but then you just…" He couldn't finish the sentence.

"It wasn't a lie!"

"How can I not see it as one?" he roared. "We made love, Penelope and you treated it as if we were just a one night stand! You then had the audacity to tell me that we should never have been anything at all. I laid my heart out to you and you threw it back in my face."

Penelope's lips quivered. "I know, and I'm so very sorry," she whispered, wringing her hands together. "I should never have said that."

"Pfft," he growled. "Damn right."

She stepped forward and winced as he backed away. "Please, Derek," she begged. "We –"

"What 'we,' Penelope?" he demanded. "Because last time I checked, you thought we shouldn't even be friends!"

Breathing deeply, she tried again saying, "Derek, we're going to have to talk about this. We – we're going to be parents. And I know you will want to be a part of this baby's life. I know you will want to be a father." She put her hands on her abdomen and looked him in the eyes, not wavering for a second, even though she wanted to. "And I know you want nothing to do with me, but don't let that keep you from being here for the baby."

Silence blanketed them for several minutes. Both of them could feel the tension dissipate slightly, dissolving into the night air and leaving them standing awkwardly. It was strange, them not having anything to say, despite the words they both wanted to scream at the other.

It was Derek who spoke first.

Laughing bitterly and letting his look soften, he said, "Penelope, _nothing_ could keep me away from our baby. Even my anger at you." Turning to face her, but keeping his arms crossed, he said quietly, "I will never stop loving you."

Letting her tears fall more freely, she said, "I know. And I'll never stop loving you, either. But we've got to talk about. A lot." Turning to walk back inside, she threw another glance over her shoulder at him and saw that he was still watching her with forgiving eyes. "I'll talk to you later, Derek." And without looking back again, she went back inside, leaving Derek on the roof.

XXXXX

When Derek returned home that night after his brief talk with Penelope on the roof of the BAU, Zoe was lying in wait for him. She was perched on the edge of the couch and she glared at him as he put his go bag down by the door. He looked at her hardly and went to the kitchen, grabbing a beer from the fridge.

"_You son of a bitch_!" Zoe screamed at him when he returned to the living room. "You slept with _her_?"

"You told Penelope to get rid of my baby?" he shot back.

"Derek, I only told her to do that because I knew it would make me lose you!" Derek could always tell when a woman was faking tears, and Zoe was bringing on the waterworks like crazy. "I love you, Derek!"

He shook his head. "No," he said. "No, you don't. If you did you wouldn't have told Penelope to get rid of our baby."

She looked at him with rage. "You're wrong! I do love you! Don't you love me?" she cried in one incoherent breath. She stared at his blank face and watched as he sipped his beer. "_Well_?"

"No," he said. "Zoe, I was never intending for us to be anything more than casual. I'm sorry, I don't mean to be blunt. I've always been in love with Penelope. That night at the bar, the one we fought, I was going to break up with you." He watched as her face stared into him with a whole range of emotions.

Zoe's mouth fell open. "So, you're just going to dump me and get together with Penelope fucking Garcia?"

He shook his head. "No," he said, trying hard to keep his voice gentle. "I'm going to break up with you and be there for my child. I don't know what will happen with me and Penelope, but I do know that I'm going to be there as a father for our baby." His voice turned hard again. "The baby you told her to get rid of."

Stomping her feet like a child, Zoe shrieked, "Don't do this, Derek! You'll regret breaking up with me!"

Derek shook his head for what felt like the thousandth time that night. "No, I won't."

XXXXX

Around six in the morning, a terrible rapping began on Penelope's door and she groaned. Rolling out of bed, she trudged to the door, wondering who the hell was at her apartment at this ridiculous hour. She readjusted her glasses and opened the door. Standing in front of her was a frazzled looking Zoe, her eyes red-rimmed and her face furious.

"Zoe?" she asked in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

"It's all _your_ fault!" she hissed venomously. "He broke up with me because of you and that – that _thing_ inside of you!" Advancing towards her, Penelope nervously took a step back. She tried to shut the door, but Zoe pushed her way through. For being so skinny, she was stronger than Penelope would've expected.

"Zoe…" she said. "What're you doing?"

Smiling wickedly, she said, "Taking you and your brat out of the picture. Derek is mine and you won't keep him from me!"

Penelope's blood ran cold and she said, "Zoe, don't do…whatever it is you're planning on doing. I'm doing anything with Derek. I haven't made any plans other than talking to him. Please!"

"Joe, get in here!" Zoe called out the door.

Looking towards the door, Penelope's eyes grew wide as a huge man, bearing a striking resemblance to Zoe entered her apartment and made his way towards her. Opening her mouth, she tried to scream, before the man's fist connected with her face and the world plunged into blackness.

**So that's where I leave you…for now. I'm working on the next chapter as I publish this. I'm watching Lord of the Rings while I do this, so it may be slower than I want it to get out. But never fear. It's coming!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds…even though I wish I did.**

**Thank you to all the reviewers out there…you guys rock and keep me going! Another quick note, I'm a huge believer in a HEA, so don't worry. It'll be all better in the end :)**

"Wake up!"

Water sprinkled through Penelope's hair and she felt her eyes flutter open. A fierce pounding was beating in her skull, making her wince when she saw light. She was in a simply furnished room, lying on a couch in her pajamas. There were no windows and only one door. Groaning softly, she sat up and said, "Where am I?" Looking around, she saw only one person in the room. It was the man who'd knocked her out at her apartment. The man who'd come in with Zoe.

He stared at her coldly, void of emotion. There was nothing in his eyes as he looked at her. It chilled her blood and she tried to suppress a shiver. "Who are you?" she choked out. "Why are you helping that crazy bitch?"

Glaring at her, the man said, "Watch your mouth, you stupid whore. Don't say things about her like that."

Studying him, she asked, "Fine, then. At least will you tell me your name?"

"Joe," he said coarsely.

"Are you her brother?" she asked. "You guys look a lot alike." She had no idea what she was doing, trying to make conversation with this man, but if it helped her find out why Zoe had taken her, she would do anything.

Joe nodded slowly, his gaze still boring into her. It made Penelope uneasy. She'd seen the same type of hostility in Zoe's face when she'd opened the door to her apartment and found her standing there. Clearing her throat, she added, "Could I maybe have some water? Please?" Her mouth felt like sandpaper was being rubbed in it. And she needed to figure out how to get out of here. Maybe finding out his patterns would make it so she could find a way to escape.

He shook his head. "You're only allowed water every two hours," he said. "Zoe told me the first time you had water I had to use it to wake you up." Glancing at his watch, he added, "You have another hour and forty-seven minutes before I can give you any more." He clamped his mouth shut and continued to stare at her.

Penelope's brow raised and she thought, _What hold does Zoe have over this guy?_ "Listen, Joe," she said, desperation crawling into her voice. "I'm pregnant. I need to be drinking. I can't wait two hours. I'm going to get dehydrated."

Joe shook his head adamantly. "No," he said gruffly. "I can't give you any yet. You get eight fluid ounces ever two hours. That's what Zoe said. No exceptions."

Tears filled Penelope's eyes and she began to realize that Zoe had no intention of giving her any mercy. She wiped her eyes and sat as still as she could on the couch, her mind racing as Joe continued to stare at her. Trying to stay calm, she thought about what Derek would tell her to do. After her last scare at the hospital, she knew she needed to stay calm or she could risk losing her baby. She couldn't do that. She had to stay calm so Derek could meet his baby. Joe's uncomfortable stare stayed on her and she closed her eyes, trying desperately to envision the sound of Derek's voice telling her everything would be okay.

At this point, though, she really didn't know if it would be.

XXXXX

Joe stood up after what felt like an eternity of staring at her. She watched as he headed to the only door in the room. "Where are you going?" she croaked.

"To get your water," he said simply, turning the door knob and exiting. Penelope was finally alone in the small room. Her throat felt like a desert and she felt claustrophobic in the enclosed space. There was only one light in the whole room and it wasn't burning very brightly, so she had to squint to see anything. She rose from the couch and went to the door, wiggling the knob. A small cry escaped her throat and she slid to the floor. Only a matter of hours in the prison and she was already giving up hope. Instinctually her hands went to her stomach and she thought about her baby.

Was she going to miscarry for real this time?

On the other side of the door she heard Joe's lumbering footsteps and she forced herself up from the floor to hasten back to the couch. When he entered again, she was sitting in the exact same position as when he'd left. He had a bottle of water, filled only eight ounces and he thrust it towards her. Penelope's first instinct was to guzzle the entire bottle, but she sipped it, knowing she had to make it last for another two hours.

"Thank you," she said softly to Joe before taking a small sip. The cool liquid hit her lips and she felt it trickle down her throat and into her stomach. Hesitantly, she capped the bottle again and looked back up at Joe. "Joe? Will I ever get out of here?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No," he said bluntly. "You won't."

With tears rolling down her cheeks, she pleaded, "Please! I have someone who I love and I promised him I'd talk to him about…our baby. Please, let me go."

"I can't do that," he stated angrily. "Zoe told me that you hurt her and you need to be punished. I'm helping her because she's the only one who cares about me."

The sad truth and unfailing loyalty of this man was beginning to set in on Penelope. She'd seen enough unsubs just like him who would never give up on their partner unless their faith in them was shaken. She couldn't rely on instinct; she wasn't a profiler. And in this little room, with no internet or phone, there was little to no chance of Penelope being able to do that.

She had no idea how she could escape from here.

XXXXX

"Hotch, it's been twenty four hours since anyone's last seen her!" Derek bellowed in the middle of the round table room. When he'd first arrived in the morning to the BAU, he was looking forward to talking with Penelope. But she hadn't shown up all day. Emily and JJ had gone to check out her apartment, but had come back saying nothing was out of place. "She's not answering her cell phone, her apartment is fine. Where the hell could she be?"

"You said her car was still in her apartment's lot?" Reid interjected, directing his question to JJ or Emily.

Nodding and not allowing the women to speak, Derek said, "Yeah, yeah. What I don't understand is how she could disappear without a trace! The only people she would call for a ride anywhere are all here in the room."

"The only logical thing here is that someone took her," Rossi said, rubbing his chin tiredly. All day Derek had been acting like someone had run over his foot with their car. He was glad that the man was concerned over Penelope's absence, but it was utterly unpleasant being around him in the state of mind he was in.

"From her apartment, though?" Derek demanded.

"If she knew whoever it was, she would've opened the door for them," JJ said, adding more possibility to Rossi's idea. "They could've taken her straight from inside."

The rest of the team watched as Derek paced back and forth in front of them. Once they'd all found out Penelope was pregnant, they watched Derek's behavior carefully, knowing that the two of them being on shaky ground with one another and being hit with the news of a baby could be a dangerous combination. But at the moment he just wanted to find her. Just like the rest of them.

XXXXX

A knock sounded on the door and Penelope looked up at it, startled. Joe unlocked the door and Zoe stepped in. Glaring at her, Penelope got up and snarled, "You crazy bitch! Let me the hell out of here!"

Zoe glared right back at her, but didn't say anything. Turning to Joe, she said, "Change of plans, Joey. We're going to let her have as much to eat and drink as she likes. Anything she wants, you give it to her."

"Why the change of heart?" Penelope snapped.

Zoe turned back to her and finally told her, "Because when you have your baby, I'm going to keep it. And_ then_ I will kill you."

**Next chapter is coming soon! There will be more Derek next, too.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Criminal Minds :( I really wish they would share.**

**Thank you for all the reviews guys! Here's the next chapter. Let me know what you think.**

_Three and a Half Months Later_

Derek strode into the BAU at ten in the morning with a pounding headache. He passed by Emily, Reid, and JJ and they looked at him, each one with an expression of their own. JJ just looked at him sorrowfully, Emily looked at him like he smelled, and Reid looked at him with pity. Their friend had descended to an all new level of hell after Penelope's disappearance. She'd been officially missing for almost four months and Derek was beginning to give up hope. The first week had been alright for him, as he thought Penelope could enter the room at any second. But after that, his hope began to drain from him like a hole had been punctured in his skin and his very essence was pouring out for all to see. He turned to Jack Daniels like it was his replacement for Penelope and his work ethic slipped.

When he'd passed by them, JJ turned to Emily and said, "Hotch is going to be pissed. This has got to be the fifth time he's come in this late. And he still looks half drunk."

Reid shook his head. "Guys, what are we going to do about him?" he asked. "This is becoming absurd. We _all_ miss her, but he's acting ridiculous."

"Yeah, but Reid, she's not carrying our children," Emily reasoned. "He's got every reason to be upset."

JJ's eyes teared up. "I wish we had some idea of what happened to her," she said sadly.

Emily pulled JJ into a hug and said, "We all do, Jayje."

XXXXX

"You came in three hours late again, Morgan," Hotch said angrily as he entered Derek's office. His face was furious and he shut the door firmly before going on to lecture him. "I don't even know how to begin! You've completely lost it. When will the worst come? Are we going to end up on a case and you'll punch out an officer? Am I going to have to suspend you from field work?"

Derek just glared at his boss. His face was covered in a five o'clock shadow from two days ago, his eyes were red-rimmed and blood shot, and his clothing was wrinkled. On the inside, he felt like a failure for not knowing what happened to Penelope, for what happened to his child. In the last months he'd begun to hate the world, seeking comfort in alcohol and solitude. Even his job held no solace for him because his true solace, his God-given solace, was missing. Had someone taken her? Had she left without a word on purpose? It didn't matter. She was gone, along with his child.

"No," he spat. "I'm perfectly fine, Hotch. Nothing wrong with me at all."

"Bull shit," Hotch growled. "You're a mess. You've been nothing but unpleasant since Penelope went missing." Derek rose from his seat, his eyes taking a murderous gleam to them. Hotch continued regardless. "I understand that it's hard for you, it's hard for all of us."

"Not in the same way, though!" Derek roared. "Hotch, man, she's pregnant with my baby! There's no way you know what that feels like. I'm all alone with this. My best friend…the woman I love…she's missing."

Hotch let his tone soften and he looked at Derek with more compassion. "Derek, I think I understand you better than you might think. I lost Haley, remember? I know how you're feeling." Patting his shoulder, he added, "But Derek, I'm going to have to take you out of the field. At least until you get some help."

Nodding, Derek bent his head and agreed with silence. When Hotch finally exited his office, he sat forward and put his elbows on his desk in defeat.

XXXXX

Rossi watched as Hotch exited Derek's office and sighed. Meeting him outside his office, he motioned and said, "What's going on with him?"

Hotch shook his head and said, "Nothing good. He's got a whole lot of anger going through him right now and he has no idea how to control it. It's only a matter of time before he breaks completely."

"You don' think _this_ is broken?" Rossi asked. "Aaron, this is the worst I've seen him in a while. Since the beginning of Garcia's disappearance."

"There aren't any leads to go off of," he replied grimly. "We've had her face plastered all over, we've had people looking for paper trails. There's nothing. At this point I don't know if we'll ever find her."

Rossi bowed his head and said. "And if we don't find her, we may as well say goodbye to Morgan as well."

XXXXX

Penelope opened her eyes and looked at the clock on the wall. Her hand went to her stomach, now almost five months pregnant, and she sighed. Hope had abandoned her of being rescued. She'd been confined to the small prison she'd woken up in and hadn't been allowed to leave at all. Joe brought her food, her medicine, anything she asked for. Clothing had been purchased and was washed outside the room. There was a small bathroom connected to her room if she needed it.

She hated every minute of her imprisonment.

Joe didn't speak much, but if she asked enough he would play cards or a board game with her. She tried desperately to figure out ways to have him trust her, but his loyalty to Zoe seemed like it would never falter. If his sister really was the only one who cared about him, she would probably never break through his exterior.

Her previous attempts at escape taught her that the more she tried, the less he would trust her.

Her only peace came from thinking about her baby. She wished she could find out if it was a boy or a girl. She wished she could make normal plans as a mother, instead of being confined away from her family, her support.

Away from Derek.

"Your breakfast is here," Joe's gruff voice said from the opposite end of the room.

Sitting up, Penelope rubbed her belly gently and said, "Okay." She rose from the bed and walked over to him to get the food that he'd offered. There was a glass of orange juice, a bagel and cream cheese, and her medicine. "Thank you," she said softly. Sipping her juice and swallowing her medicine, she asked, "More black jack today?"

Joe nodded thoughtfully. "Or we could do something else." He looked at her hopefully, like he was used to people telling him no.

"Sure," she said, trying to be enthusiastic. Joe grinned and she felt her heart clench. Under different circumstances, she would really like this man. She would treat him with compassion instead of forcing him to do her bidding, using abandonment as a weapon. But he was helping his sister keep her captive and steal her baby. And when she did have her baby it was likely Zoe would have him do the deed of killing her and disposing of her body.

They spent the next hours playing cards, Penelope talking and Joe nodding along. He seemed to be okay with just listening to her talk, not saying much of anything. She told him about her friends, her brothers, and she even mentioned Derek. It became very clear early on to her that Zoe hadn't told her brother much about why they were taking Penelope. Whenever she spoke of Derek, he made no indication that he had any idea who he was. Zoe kept her brother a secret and kept everything regarding his mission a secret.

"I never imagined Derek would see me the way I see him," she said languidly, putting down her hand of cards. "I mean, he's extremely beautiful and I'm…not."

Joe grunted and shook his head. "No," he said. "You are." As he said it, he didn't bother to look at her. He made the statement as if he were commenting on the weather.

Penelope smiled at him, watching as he observed his cards. In her heart she knew that Joe meant her no harm. He was a good person, if he was out of the shadow of his sister. "Thank you," she said softly. "Well, I just wish I knew if this baby was a boy or a girl," she continued. "And I wish I could talk to Derek. I miss him. I miss him so much. I wish I could apologize for everything I told him because, we were always meant to be something. Lovers, friends…everything." She looked more closely at the man sitting across from her. "Have you ever been in love, Joe?" she asked curiously.

"No," he said simply. "I only like Zoe." Pausing, he looked up from his cards and added, "I guess I like you too. You're okay. But Zoe told me you hurt her, so I guess I really don't know how I feel about you."

"If I hurt her, I never meant to," she said softly, hoping something would spark in the man and he would let her go. "I'm sorry."

Joe merely nodded and put down his cards, saying, "Go Fish."

XXXXX

"What do you want for dinner?" Joe asked Penelope when the clocks arrows indicated it was five o'clock.

Penelope bit her lip thoughtfully. "Could we do spaghetti?" she asked. "Ooh, and garlic bread?"

"Sure," he said, smiling a little. Whenever they made spaghetti, Joe always smiled, something rare for him. "I like that idea."

"And Joe?" she asked, her voice much more hesitant. "I was wondering if I could maybe…go outside tomorrow?" His face shot to hers and she quickly added, "Just for a few minutes? I only want a little fresh air. Please?"

His face scrunched slightly in a frown, but then he said, "Sure. But you have to promise not to tell Zoe. She'll be very angry with me if she finds out I let you go out."

Smiling, Penelope held out her pinky and said, "I pinky swear not to tell her anything. We're friends after all. I don't tell on my friends."

For once since she'd seen him in almost four months, Penelope saw Joe's face light in a broad grin. "We're friends?" he asked hopefully.

Nodding, she said, "Yeah, we're friends."

She hoped to God that by shaking pinkies with Joe that he would help release her and by doing so, maybe solidify their alliance.

**Okiedoke, so here's the end of another chapter. I hope you're all still enjoying it. The next chapter will have a little more excitement to it. Pinky swear!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Here's chapter 9! It's only got a few chapters left…I don't know the exact amount yet, but I do know it's only a few. Thank you again for all the amazing feedback! You guys rock :)**

Penelope woke up early the next morning, excited because Joe was going to let her outside. She didn't know where the place she was being kept was, but if she had a chance to get away, she would seize it. Everything in her was burning to find a way out and get back to safety. There was no way in hell she would let her baby be raised by Zoe. The very thought of it made her shudder and she shook her head. If Zoe stooped to kidnap and murder, she clearly wasn't fit for motherhood.

Sitting up, she yawned and stood up to go to the small bathroom connected to her prison. When she saw herself in the mirror, she pulled her shirt up to look at her baby bump. It wasn't huge, but it was clear to anyone who looked at her that she was pregnant. Tears pricked at the back of her eyes and she stifled a sob. If she couldn't make an escape, she would never meet the child growing inside her.

Her baby.

Derek's baby.

Joe may have been the only person she'd spoken to in months, but her best friend and confidant would always remain Derek. The last few months, whenever Joe wasn't in the room, she would let her hormones take control of her and break down. She would sob into her pillow, wishing she was home or with Derek and the rest of the team. She missed Reid and his rattling off of facts no one needed; JJ and Emily and all the nights the three of them spent having girl time; Hotch and his stoic leadership; Rossi and his ability to make her smile. But most of all she missed Derek with his gentle arms, his uniquely-him humor, and the feeling of his lips against her temple.

She blew her nose with a piece of toilet paper and let out a shaky sigh. She would reminisce later. Later when she was free.

When she opened the door again, Joe was already there with her breakfast. Hurriedly she wiped her tears away and smiled. "Hi," she said, trying to make her voice bright.

"Hello," he said simply, handing her a glass of juice. "When you finish breakfast we can go outside. It's a nice day. Sunny and warm."

She smiled brighter, just thinking about the sun hitting her skin. The warmth of the sun was one of the things she'd missed being inside for months on end. Gobbling down her cereal as hastily as she could, she wiped her lips of the last remnants of orange juice and said, "Okay. I'm ready to go."

He nodded and said, "Follow me."

And then he unlocked the door, bidding her to follow him into the hallway. Excitedly she followed him. The hall was a narrow walkway, big enough only for them to walk single file. At the farthest end there was a stairwell. They went up and out of the basement, entering into a brightly lit house. It shocked Penelope at how normal it looked compared to some of the other lairs unsubs she'd seen in her job used. To think the entire time she'd been right where people could easily find her was shocking. Out the windows she could see the typical suburban street where the house was.

"Who does this house belong to?" Penelope asked.

"It's mine," Joe said. "Zoe bought it for me after she told me I had to move out from her apartment." Not saying anymore, he motioned for her to come with him and they stepped outside into the bright morning.

The light burned Penelope's eyes after months of no exposure to sun in the dim windowless room of her prison. All around her, the noises of the neighborhood filled her ears. Birds chirped in the trees, cars started as people got ready to leave for work, kids were rushing out the door to catch buses.

Anticipation was thundering in her heart. Here was where she would make her escape. There were witnesses, it would be so easy. She would be home soon. Home to Derek.

Glancing over at Joe, she instantly felt guilty, however. He looked so happy at that moment and Penelope realized that it wasn't just her locked up at that moment. If she abandoned Joe now, she would be doing exactly what Zoe did to him. And for some reason, even all the thoughts of home and her family couldn't bring her to do that.

So instead of running, she stood in the middle of the sun-bathed yard and soaked up the rays of light. Later she would hatch a new plan and find a way for both her and Joe to escape from Zoe's tyranny.

XXXXX

Derek stood in line at the coffee shop, his head pounding with his latest hangover. He'd been up since two in the morning the previous evening, drowning himself in whiskey. Hotch was going to kill him when he got to the office, but he figured his boss would prefer he'd be slightly sobered up and late as opposed to nursing a hangover and still late. As he was paying for his coffee, he felt someone tap his shoulder and heard his name.

"Derek?"

Turning around, he saw Zoe, the woman who'd essentially ended his life and felt his stomach drop ten feet. He definitely didn't want to see this woman. Not now, not ever again.

"Oh, hi Zoe," he said lamely, raising his hand in a slight wave. "How's it going?"

"Good!" she chirped. "Actually really good! I'm planning on adopting a child in a few months. I still have a lot to work out, but I think I found a mother who'd be willing to do a closed adoption with me." Her eyes glittered as she babbled on.

Derek had to stop himself from making some snappy comment about her and comments about children. The last time he'd truly seen her she'd been telling Penelope to get rid of his child. "Oh, that's great, Zoe," he said grudgingly.

Raising a brow and smirking, she asked, "Speaking of children, how's Penelope? You two are still expecting I'm assuming?"

Glaring, he growled, "Penelope went missing a few months ago. Someone kidnapped her." He didn't know if the last statement was true or not, but he couldn't see Penelope, the person he knew better than anyone else, doing such a thing. Especially after she'd agreed to get together with him and talk after a period of uncomfortable silence between the two of them.

Sticking out her lower lip, Zoe gasped, "Oh! That's awful. I'm so sorry, Derek. I know how much she meant to you." She put her hand on his arm.

Yanking his arm back, Derek replied, "No, you didn't."

Zoe's eyes flashed maliciously for a moment and as she opened her mouth to speak, Derek's phone buzzed from his pocket and he pulled it out. It was Hotch. Thanking whoever would listen silently, he turned to Zoe hardly and said, "Nice talking to you, Zoe." As he walked away, he answered the phone. "Morgan," he said gruffly.

"Morgan, it's Hotch," his unit chief said.

Groaning, Derek said, "Listen, Hotch, I know I'm late again –"

"No, Morgan, shut up," Hotch said. "You need to get in here immediately. We have someone who says they've seen Penelope."

"WHAT?"

The entire coffee shop silenced and they looked at Derek with an entire range of looks on their faces, most of them surprised or irritated. He specifically noticed Zoe watching him carefully. Lowering his voice, Derek asked, "Are you sure?"

"Positive," Hotch replied. "He's at the BAU now. We're just waiting on you."

"I'll be there in three," Derek said brusquely, hanging up and dumping his coffee. He didn't need it anymore; he was sobered up immediately when he heard news about Penelope.

Zoe sauntered up behind him as he rushed for the door and said, "Got a big case?"

Shaking his head, Derek said, "No. Someone's seen Penelope."

He didn't see the look of shock and anger on Zoe's face as he ran out the door and sped away in his SUV.

XXXXX

"Who saw her? I want to speak with him now!" Derek demanded, sprinting into the round table room. He didn't bother saying hello to anyone; he just looked for the witness Hotch had promised on the phone. A police officer rose from a chair and he asked, "Was it you?"

The officer nodded. "Officer Daniels," he said, sticking his hand out to shake Derek's. "I'm the one who saw Ms. Garcia."

Running his hand over his head, Derek asked, "Did – did she look okay?"

Daniels nodded and said, "Yes. In fact, she looked extremely well." Seeing the looks of confusion on their faces, he clarified. "Well, other than looking like she hasn't been outside in a very long time. I was leaving for work when I saw her coming outside from one of my neighbor's houses."

"What can you tell us about this neighbor?" Reid asked.

"Well, his name's Joe. That's about all I know regarding his name, but he's a really big guy. Taller than you," he said, nodding in Derek's direction. "Come to think of it, I haven't been seeing him too often either. He stays in the house a lot because he's got some mental problems. He's real simple, works odd jobs most of the time."

"Penelope?" Derek asked desperately. "Is – is she pregnant?" He was all the sudden having terrible thoughts that maybe the man holding her captive had caused her to miscarry.

Again, the officer confirmed. "Yeah, she looks about four or five months right now," he said, looking oddly at Derek. "Why? Do you know who the father is? Has anyone told him that she's been spotted?"

Not able to contain them anymore, Derek felt tears coursing down his cheeks and he said, "Yeah. Yeah, someone's told him." He looked at Hotch and nodded, thanking him for calling. Hotch merely clapped Derek on the shoulder to show his support.

Daniels understood and said, "Well, I can take you there now. I just remember seeing her face on the Missing Persons database in the precinct I work at and when I saw her I knew I needed to call the number. Plus, that was the first time I'd ever seen her there, so he must've gotten her there in the middle of the night all those months ago. No one's seen her before in our neighborhood."

"Tell me, Officer, is this man someone you would consider dangerous?" Rossi asked, turning the conversation back to their unsub.

Daniels shook his head. "No! Not at all. That's part of the reason I'm so shocked. Joe only looks scary, but he's really helpful and a nice guy. Not many people hang around him, but whenever I've talked to him he's always been pleasant."

"Any relatives or friends that do hang around his house?" Emily added. "Anyone who might know he's holding someone captive in his home?"

Daniels was silent for a moment as he thought. "There's only one person in particular I can think of that spends any amount of time there, but she hasn't shown up in a while."

"Girlfriend?"

"No, no. I think it might be his sister," Daniels said. "But, like I said, I haven't seen her around in months." Lowering his voice, he added, "If you want my opinion, I don't think she's all that nice to him. He follows her around like a puppy dog, but I think she uses that against him because he has no one else."

Derek's voice rose impatiently. "So why would he take Penelope?" he asked angrily. "He just wanted a friend?"

Rossi put a hand on his shoulder to calm him and said, "Derek, you need to chill. Officer Daniels, can you please get us to your neighborhood once we make the proper arrangements? We believe you when you say this man isn't dangerous, but we need to cover all our bases and get SWAT and local police involved. Just as a precaution."

"Absolutely," Daniels said. "I'll head back to the station. It's the police for the area where my neighborhood is. I'll let them know you're arriving." Getting out a piece of paper, he scribbled something down and handed it over. "Here's my address if you want to send someone over just to take a look. The house to the left is Joe's."

As Derek made a grab for the paper, Reid snatched at it first and earned himself a glare from his friend. "Sorry, Morgan," he said sympathetically. "But I think you're not coming to scope it out. Am I right?" he asked, looking to Hotch.

"One hundred percent, Reid," Hotch said. "Morgan, you're staying with me at all times. I don't want you staying here because I know you'll bully someone into looking up the address and go there yourself." Derek grumbled, but didn't say anything. Hotch looked around the anxiety ridden room and said, "Alright guys. Let's go get Garcia back."


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Here's the next installment! Thank you bunches for all the reviews! I love them all :)**

Derek was grinding his jaw the entire time the team was prepping in the station near where the witness had seen Penelope. His anxiety was boiling in his blood, making him shake with rage and frighten anyone who came within ten feet of him. When he got his hands on the man who took Penelope, he would kill him; he was certain of that. At the moment he was strapping his bullet-proof vest on. Reid and JJ were already staking out the house where Officer Daniels directed them and so far the coast was clear.

"Morgan, are you going to be okay?"

He turned around to look at Hotch, who had his arms crossed over his vest-covered chest. "Yeah, Hotch," he growled. "Peachy." Rubbing his head and sighing, he apologized, "Sorry man. I just – I just want her back."

"Well then, let's go get her," Hotch said.

XXXXX

After Penelope and Joe returned inside, they spent several hours playing cards. She continued to talk to him, her conversation consisting of Derek. The nice thing about talking to Joe was he just let her babble. There was no interrupting, no insertion of opinion. He didn't judge, either.

Since they'd embarked outside, he'd livened up a bit, smiling more and saying little things in agreement.

As they were shuffling the deck again, a vicious tempo of pounding down steps followed by banging on the door sounded. Penelope jumped at first and thought maybe the police had shown up. At first her heart leapt with excitement, thinking she would be freed.

"Joe!" Zoe screamed.

Elation turned to fear in less than a second for Penelope. Joe's face dropped and he rose immediately to unlock the door. Zoe stomped in, vehement rage written all over her normally flawless features.

"You let her out!" she hollered, getting close to Joe's face. Instantly he shrank back and she continued to yell at him. "You stupid, pathetic moron! I specifically told you _not_ to let her out of this room!" Penelope winced as she screamed at Joe. "Now her precious team is on our trail and we have to leave!" Turning to Penelope, she hissed, "He's never going to find you."

Glaring at Zoe, she replied, "It's over, Zoe. If the BAU is on their way, you'll go down. Just like any of the other crazy people we hunt down."

"Not if I can help it," Zoe hissed malevolently.

XXXXX

Reid and J had been watching the typical looking house Officer Daniels had given them the address to. Everything was quiet on the street, as it was the middle of the day and most people were at work or school. No activity whatsoever.

"This is way too out in the open for someone to successfully hide another person," Reid said, his brow furrowed in concentration and confusion. "How could no one have seen her for months? She's not a child either, she's a grown woman."

JJ shook her head. "She's pregnant. That's leverage for him to keep her quiet. Threatening her with a beating would easily subdue her."

A car had started to pull down the street and Reid patted JJ's shoulder as it slowed down to turn into the house's driveway. "JJ," he said. "Someone's pulling in." He nodded in the direction of the black car that was now parked in the drive.

"Why do I feel like I've seen that car before?" JJ pondered aloud. The sleek black car did look eerily familiar and when the driver exited the car, looking furious and in a rage, she gasped. "Oh my God," she said, pulling out her phone as the woman entered the house, slamming the door behind her. "Reid, we need to call Morgan! That's Zoe." She punched her speed dial and waited until she heard Morgan's gruff voice.

"Yeah, JJ. Got anything?"

"You're bitch of an ex-girlfriend," she growled angrily. Her voice clearly wanted blood. "She took Penelope. It was her all along."

"We'll be there in five minutes," he roared. "If she even tries to leave, stop her!"

XXXXX

Zoe reached behind her and held up a gun that she pulled from the back of her jeans. She pointed it at Penelope. "We're going to leave, now," she said. "Joe, hold her still while we take her up."

Joe faltered. "Zoe, please," he begged. "I don't want to her. She's my friend." His face was desperate as he looked at his sister.

Laughing wickedly, Zoe scoffed, "She played you, you dimwit! No one but me cares about you. She doesn't care about you."

"That's not true!" Penelope cried at Zoe. "You're the one playing him, you selfish bitch. You use him to do your dirty work that you're not brave enough to do yourself."

Joe looked conflicted, but reluctantly he grabbed hold of Penelope's arms roughly. "I'm sorry," he whispered sorrowfully, pulling her out the door. She struggled the entire way upstairs, trying to pull away from his grasp. "Please don't struggle," Joe said softly. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Let me go!" she said. "When my team gets here, I won't be able to stop Derek from hurting you. And I don't want him to. Joe, we're friends! Don't do this to me."

Pulling her out the front door and towards the car, he had tears rolling down his cheeks. "I'm sorry," he sobbed, pushing her towards Zoe's car.

Her hands clutched her stomach and she wiped her cheeks. "Please, Joe."

Suddenly a loud screeching and the wailing of sirens began to fill the street and several police cars and SUVs came racing down the road. Joe backed up, Penelope still tightly held in his grasp. The cars stopped abruptly and Hotch, Rossi, Derek appeared out of the cars, guns raised and aimed for Joe.

Penelope's heart leapt into her throat when she saw Derek and his face looked equally distressed when their eyes met. "Derek!" she cried, trying to shoot out towards him, but Joe still held her in his arms.

Derek tried to go towards her, but Rossi and Hotch grabbed him by the shoulders as he tried fighting them. "Let me the fuck go!" he cried.

Hotch stared at him hardly and he growled, "You're only going to get her hurt if you do this, Derek."

Zoe came sauntering out of the house, an evil smirk on her face. "Hello Agents," she purred. "Good to see you all again."

Derek roared at her, "You crazy fucking bitch! How dare you lay a hand on her!"

"That baby was supposed to be mine!" she screamed shrilly. "_You_ were supposed to be mine. And you threw away our future for a one night stand that you claim to love."

"Joe, please," Penelope begged quietly. "Let me go to him."

"I can't," he choked. "Zoe would hate me forever."

Pushing Joe out of the way, Zoe shoved a gun to her belly and said, "If any of you come any closer, I'll pull the trigger and you'll lose your beloved child, Derek." Her face showed that she would definitely follow through with her threat. Penelope was now full out sobbing and Joe was slumped against the car, his head in his hands and tugging at his hair at the roots.

"Let me go!" Penelope wept.

Whispering in her ear, Zoe hissed, "Your baby is never going to see the light of day, you stupid whore."

Her final threat caused Penelope to let out a shriek of anger and she drove her elbow into the crazy bitch that threatened her child. Zoe fell back with a groan of pain. Not hesitating to rush forward, Penelope launched forward trying to get away.

But not before a deafening shot rang out through the air.

XXXXX

Derek's breathing stopped in his chest as he watched Zoe shoot her gun. But he didn't see a burst of crimson on Penelope's shirt and that's when he saw it. The man, Zoe's giant of a brother, had thrown himself in front of his sister's oncoming bullet. He'd saved Penelope. It was then that Zoe fell to the ground, shot by JJ's bullets.

Now Derek could rush forward to his love.

But Penelope had dropped to her knees, kneeling by Joe's limp form. The bullet had lodged in his neck, causing blood to spurt out of his throat. Sobbing, Penelope pulled his bleeding his head into her lap and moving his hair back. But after sputtering several times, he lifted his hand to her face and brought his hand down her cheek before his hand fell and his eyes closed. The air was filled with silence, save for Penelope's wailing. As men came to take Joe's body, Penelope remained on the ground, her head in her hands.

It was then that Derek went to her, knelt down next to her and wrapped her in his arms after so many months of not feeling her with him. She leaned against him as if he were only lifeline to the world and sobbed against his chest, staining his t-shirt with her tears.

"Shh," he murmured into her hair. "I've got you."

Pulling away slightly, she looked him in the eye and he felt his heart break at the agony he found there. "He was a good person, Derek," she said with a choked sob. "He didn't want to hurt me."

And Derek could see that she was right. The man had died to save her life. There was no way he could speak ill of him. Not then, not ever. Moving his hand to her face and holding it there, he murmured, "I know, Baby Girl."

Throwing her arms around his neck, she said in his ear, "You have no idea how much I've missed you. How much I missed your voice, and your arms." She grasped his hand then and moved it to her rounded belly where their child was and said, "How much I've wished you could see me as our baby grows inside of me."

Now there were tears in his eyes and couldn't stop them from falling. "And I've missed you," he whispered. "So, so much." Stroking her cheek with his thumb, he placed a soft kiss on her lips and added, "And from now on we're never going to be apart, no matter how much we scream and yell at each other."

With new sobs wracking her body, Penelope fell against his chest and cried her entire soul out where Derek was there to absorb it and help her through the pain of her much beloved friend.

**Okay, so this chapter wasn't exactly happy. But Zoe's dead and Joe came through for Penelope in the end. I hope you guys liked it okay because it was a thrill to write, despite its sadness. Please review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds...I just play with it.**

**WOW! Over 100 reviews! Thank you guys all so much! Well, here's the latest installment and I'm also coming out with chapters for my CM/Grey's and CM/Psych crossovers. Until next time :)**

"Well, Ms. Garcia, your baby looks fine," the doctor said, looking at her charts. "For months without seeing a doctor, you're remarkably healthy. As is your baby." Looking back up at Penelope, she asked more gently, "Did the man holding you captive hurt you in any way?"

Shaking her head mutely, Penelope held onto Derek's hand and whispered, "No. He didn't."

Nodding, she said, "Okay then. You're in perfect health as is your little girl. I see no reason to keep you here overnight. You can go home as soon as you take care of some paperwork."

Derek's face looked at the doctor. "We're having a baby girl?" he asked hoarsely.

Smiling, she said, "Yes. And she's perfectly healthy. A strong heartbeat, everything looks like it's developing properly. I'm expecting her to be born in August." She looked at both of them and said, "Is there anything else you need?"

Penelope still hadn't spoken and Derek looked at her sadly. Shaking his head, but not removing his eyes from her, he said, "No. We're all good for right now."

As soon as the doctor left, Derek sat on the exam table next to a stone-still Penelope and pulled her into his arms. Resting his chin in the crook of her neck, he said, "We're having a little girl, Baby."

"Yeah," she murmured, leaning against him. "Yeah, we are." Turning her head to look at him, she asked, "Can you take me home?"

He bit his lip nervously and said, "Baby, your landlord had us take your stuff because no one had seen you. We took out a storage unit and put it all there." She didn't say anything and he added, "Why don't you stay in the spare room at my place?" He hopped off the table and held out his hands for her to take.

"Derek, we still need to talk," she said, putting her hands on his chest and resting them there. "We never managed to all those months ago."

He sighed. "I know we do, Baby Girl," he said. She opened her mouth to say something, but he cut her off by putting his finger to her lips. "But before you say anything, if you say you want some space, I'll respect it. But I will spend the rest of my life trying to get you to marry me. Because that's what I want Penelope. I want you to be with me as my one true companion for the rest of our lives. I want to see you pregnant with more of my babies. I want to make you the happiest woman in the world because you deserve the best in life. And I know we didn't part on the best of terms before you were taken, but I'll always love you. I loved you the entire time we weren't speaking and when I heard you and Zoe arguing that night we got back I was coming to reconcile with you. I can't stand to be apart from you…ever."

Penelope smiled at him and took her hand up to his cheek. "I know, Hot Stuff," she whispered. "And let's face it. I'll probably end up marrying you, but for right now I think it would be best if we just focus on our daughter. I'll live with you, but in your guest room. In four months, let's see how we're doing."

Smiling widely, Derek leaned down to kiss her cheek. "Okay," he said. Then he put his hands around her belly and added, "We're going to meet you in just a few months, little girl."

When Penelope was in her clothes after changing from her hospital gown, she came out of the small bathroom and she smiled sadly. "Let's go."

XXXXX

Penelope had been living with Derek for two weeks and at least three times she'd woken up in the middle of the night screaming. Derek sat bolt up in his bed and raced out of his room to the guest room where Penelope lay thrashing on the bed. Her face was streaked with tears.

"Penelope, wake up," he said, shaking her shoulders. "Baby, it's okay." Her eyes opened and she sat up with startled eyes. He ran his thumb over her cheekbone and wiped her tears. "Hey you," he said sadly. "You were just having another nightmare."

With her lower lip quivering she relayed her dream. "It was that day," she sobbed. "His blood was all over my hands and I still couldn't get it off. I can still see his eyes as he died in front of me, Derek!" She fell into his open arms and cried against his chest. "Why won't he go away? Is he mad at me that he died trying to save me?"

Derek rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head. He knew Joe's death was still weighing heavily on Penelope and she was feeling guilty that he'd died throwing himself in front of a bullet meant for her. Pushing some of her hair back, he murmured, "No, Baby Girl. He would never be mad at you. He saved you because you were the only one who ever showed him true compassion. It is not your fault that he died. Don't you ever blame yourself for that."

Still sobbing, she looked up at him and said, "Can you just hold me? At least until I fall asleep?"

"I will hold you for the rest of our lives if you want," he said, taking her in his arms and letting her lean into him. Wrapping her in his arms, he laid down with her and they fell asleep together into the early light of dawn, neither of them disturbed again by nightmares or the past.

XXXXX

_4 Months Later_

Penelope sat on her hospital bed, the nurses telling her she had to push. She cursed the team for being called away when she was in labor because she didn't know if she could do this without Derek with her.

"C'mon Penelope, you're going to have to push," one of the nurses said, trying to coach her through getting her baby out. "You can do it."

"No I fucking can't," Penelope spat, a curse word falling unusually out of her mouth. "God, I'm going to kill Derek for this! Why the hell did the team have to get called away _now_?"

"Penelope, you need to focus on pushing right now," she repeat. "I know you want your husband here –"

"That's the thing, he's not my husband!" she cried. "He wants to marry me, but because I'm scared I keep pushing him away. It's all my fault!"

"Penelope, calm down," she repeated. "You're just stressing yourself out and that's not good for the baby or for you."

"You don't understand!" Penelope was crying now. The tears were coming at an uncontrollable rate and she couldn't stop them. "I drove him off and all he's done is love me. I don't understand who he can forgive me and treat me so well when I can't even forgive myself!"

"Have I missed it?" Derek burst into the room, breathing heavily and looking haphazardly dressed. He looked like he'd run a marathon to get there. Immediately he was by Penelope's side and grasping her hand. "Hey, you," he said, trying to sooth her. "Easy there."

The nurse rejoiced and said, "Thank God you're here. She's been talking non-stop for almost two hours and stressing herself out."

Kissing the top of Penelope's head, he laughed and said, "Woman, what have I told you about running your motor mouth."

Snarling at him, Penelope replied, "When this is over I'm going to smack you so hard for being late. And then I'm going to smack Hotch for making you go on that case. And then I'm going to smack the unsub for making you all be called out on the case. And _then_ –"

"Penelope," Derek said, cutting her off. "You need to listen to the nurse."

Looking at him gratefully, the nurse said, refocusing her attention on Penelope, "Alright Penelope, you need to push. You can do it." Letting out a shriek, Penelope gave a solid push and the nurse praised her. "Excellent. Just a few more and then you can meet your baby."

Breathing heavily, Penelope said, "Yeah, easy for you to say." She let Derek smooth some of her hair back before she gave another push, wincing the entire time.

"You're doing great, Baby Girl," Derek said, holding her hand. "You've got this."

"I see your daughter's head, Penelope," the nurse said. "One more push and you get to meet her."

With one last, ear-splitting shriek, Penelope gave one final push and the cry of a baby could be heard in the room. Smiling tiredly, she leaned her head against Derek's chest and said, "Thank God that's over!" She looked at the nurses who were cleaning up her daughter and asked, "Can I hold my baby?"

The nurse who'd been telling her to push turned around with a pink bundle and their cleaned up daughter. With a smile, she brought her over and set her in Penelope's waiting arms. "Here's your baby," she said. "She's gorgeous." Penelope smiled at her daughter. On top of her head was a mass of curly black hair and her skin was a shade lighter than Derek's. Her eyes were just like Penelope's, wide and bright.

Penelope stroked a finger down her baby's cheek and grinned. "Yeah, she is," she murmured. When she looked up at Derek, she saw that his eyes were swimming with tears and he was smiling. Holding up their daughter, she nodded and said, "Hold her."

Eagerly, Derek took his daughter in his arms and kissed her forehead. "Hey little girl," he whispered. He sat down on the hospital bed next to Penelope and leaned his head against hers. "Baby Girl, I'm the happiest man in the world right now," he said, kissing her cheek. "I hope you know that."

Nodding, she replied, "I know that, Hot Stuff. And I'm the happiest woman."

XXXXX

"So what's your name, little girl?" Penelope asked her baby as she sat on her bed, looking down at her and smiling softly. "What're we going to call you?"

"How about Mila?" Derek asked, coming back in the room from getting something to drink. He held out a cup of coffee for Penelope and smiled. "Bet it's been a while since you've had this," he said with a grin.

Nodding her thanks, she said, "I like Mila. Are you okay with that, little girl?" Their daughter gurgled and Penelope looked up at Derek with a grin. "Looks like Mila it is, Hot Stuff." She smiled as Derek sat down on the edge of the bed and held out his arms for the baby. Placing Mila in them, Penelope watched him looking at their daughter and smiled. He seemed so at ease with her, holding her as if she was the most precious thing in the world. It was at that moment that she realized just how much he meant to her. He was her best friend, her lover, her everything.

"Derek," she said with a deep breath.

He looked up at her and smiled softly. "Yeah, Baby Girl?" he asked.

She felt tears in her eyes and she nodded. "I'm ready," she said, putting her hand on his cheek. "I'm ready for everything."

Leaning forward with Mila still in his arms, he kissed her softly on the lips and smiled. "As am I, Baby Girl," he answered. "As am I."

**So, just the epilogue left! Thank you again to all of you who have read and reviewed! **


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Criminal Minds or its characters.**

**Well, we have come to the end of this little saga :( I'm sad! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this little epilogue. Thank you for the reviews and support! You all rock!**

_5 Years Later_

"Momma!"

Penelope looked to the door of her office to see her grinning five year old with Derek and their son in his arms tagging along behind her. He smiled at her and put Joey down so he could run behind Mila to jump on Penelope's lap.

Taking her Bluetooth headset off, Penelope wrapped her arms around her children and kissed both their heads. "Hey you two!" she said, ruffling Joey's curly hair and kissing Mila's cheek. "How've you two been today?"

"Good," Mila said grinning toothily. "Daddy said we should come and see you because you're being overworked and that Uncle Hotch should let you see your babies more often."

"Mammmma!" Joey said, clapping his hands together. Joey had started to speak later than his overly-active sister and after he'd started using his words, he mostly called out for his mother, saying her name with enthusiasm. Derek merely shook his head and knew his son would be attached to his mother for a long while yet.

When they'd found out they were expecting a boy her second pregnancy, naming him had been weighing on Derek's mind and one day he'd pulled her aside at work when the idea struck him.

"_Baby Girl," Derek said, entering her office one day when the team had gotten back from a particularly rough case that involved a woman manipulating her younger brother into killing people who she deemed sinners. He knew it had been hard on Penelope and he came up behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders, massaging them gently. "How you doing right now?"_

_Turning to face him with her hands on her six month pregnant belly, she smiled grimly and stood up to kiss Derek softly. "I'm okay," she murmured. "Just hit a little close to home, that's all." Even though it had been almost three years since Zoe had taken her captive, Derek knew Joe's death remained with her like a deadly reminder of a past she might never escape._

"_It's not your fault, what happened to Joe," he whispered, rubbing a few tears off her cheeks. "He died protecting you because you were the one person who found who he really was and respected him for it. And for that he loved you like the sister he should've had."_

_Penelope smiled and kissed Derek again, letting him rest his hands on her belly where their son was. "You know Baby Girl, we still haven't named this little guy," he said, rubbing his hands over her baby bump in small circles. "What if we named him Joseph? We could call him Joe for short." He watched her carefully for her reaction and smiled when she did._

"_But I think we should call him Joey," she said thoughtfully. "We can let him decide if he wants to go by Joe when he's old enough to decide."_

"_It's a done deal then," he said, taking her hand and leading her out of her office. "Joseph Morgan."_

"_Joseph _Derek_ Morgan," Penelope corrected, squeezing his hand. "No argument there, Cupcake. It's a done deal on that."_

_Laughing, he said, "I can't refuse you anything, Penelope. You should know that by now. And now, let's go home to Mila. And as soon as she's down for the night, I'm going to ravish you in so many ways, I doubt you'll be able to walk in the morning."_

_She merely laughed and let Derek pull her into a hug._

Kneeling down next to his family, Derek kissed his children's head and rested his hand on his wife's thigh. "I thought you could use some of your babies," he said. "Hotch _is_ overworking you."

Putting her hand on Derek's cheek, she smiled. "Oh, Hot Stuff, you always know what to say," she cooed.

Wrapping her arms around Penelope's waist, Mila buried her face in her mother's chest and sighed. "Momma?" she asked.

"Yeah, Baby?"

"Can we go out to dinner tonight? I'm asking you because you will probably say 'yes' and Daddy won't," she said matter-of-factly. "And I want mac 'n cheese."

Laughing and looking at Derek's perplexed look, Penelope said, "Hot Stuff, would you mind all that much? I honestly wouldn't mind a night off cooking. And I know you wouldn't either." She copied their children's pouts and rested her head on Joey's head.

Caving to his family's will, Derek relented and said, "Wow, you guys know how to work me." Rising to his feet and helping his daughter off her mother's lap, he added, "Let's get going then. I'm kind of jonesing for a burger."

Penelope rose as well and picked up her son in her arms, kissing his grinning cheek. "Joey, Mila, why don't you two go and see your Uncle Reid for a moment. Daddy and I will be right out."

"Otay!" Joey said happily and raced out of her office to find Reid.

"Alone time?" Derek asked seductively, pulling Penelope by her waist towards him and kissing her. "Any particular reason?"

Laughing and kissing him back, she responded, "Well, dearie, I'm pregnant again and I wanted to let you know."

Derek's eyes grew wide and he asked, "When did you find out?"

"Only this morning," she answered. "We're moving up to three babies, Hot Stuff."

Pulling her into a dip, Derek kissed her passionately and murmured, "You have no idea how much I'm going to ravish you in bed tonight."

Laughing, she said, "I'm ready for everything you've got, Baby."


End file.
